Safe Blackbird
by lisablack1031
Summary: "They say I'm blessed, I don't feel blessed. I feel trapped." Beth struggles to get out of her captors hands and back on the road to find Daryl.
1. Chapter 1

_Safe. _

_What really defines being safe, one without danger? Locked up where no harm will come to you? I can't breathe here; I haven't seen the sunshine in days it seems and no matter where they take me, no matter what I tell them, "You left my partner! We have to go back!" They don't listen to me, they say I'm "safe" and I never have to worry again. I tell them I can take care of myself, I'm not a child, they can't keep me like this, kidnapped is what I am. They say I should thank them, they showed up just in time, the house was swarmed by feeders. Feeders are what they call them, I say Daryl took care of me, but they say he's gone now. He will turn. But I don't believe them, he's alive and he will come for me. They say I am blessed. I don't feel blessed, I feel trapped._

"Good morning, Beth," My captor said to me as he walked into my own bedroom that morning, I can't even remember his name. He's not that bad of a guy, along with his wife, I know they mean well, they see me a child, a child that needs saving from this big bad world, but they don't know me at all.

"Morning," I spoke back to him as cheery as I could.

"I hope you slept well, I was up all night boarding the windows and doors so we could keep out the feeders,"

"Oh yes, I was actually wanting to move on so I could find my guide,"

"Oh Beth, I really don't think it would be a good idea, he may not still be alive," he said stepping closer into my room.

"Well I need to find out; we were together for a while and did fine until we found your shelter,"

"I'm glad you did, that's why we leave houses like that so people can live on, I want to help everyone,"

"But I don't need help, I have to find Daryl, I need to leave, I'm very grateful for what you are doing but I can't stay with you," I was off my bed now, standing tall, my voice getting louder and my hands getting sweaty. I felt like I could run right through this man who thought he was playing father, but my father was gone, I lost him just like I lost Daryl.

"All due in time dear, now let's eat," And he walked away, just like that. I couldn't believe this man did not know what he was doing to me, I was not happy, I did not want to be safe, I wanted to live.

I walked down the stairs in what used to be a nice home into the bare kitchen with only a kitchen table and four chairs seeing his strawberry blonde wife cook at the gas stove. She had gotten eggs from outside at the chicken coop and there was even some bread, I would have died for some sausage. Rick had made some back at the prison and it was delicious.

"Morning," I called as I stepped closed to the table and took a seat.

"Morning dear, I am so glad that I have another little girl to cook for," She smiled at me so great like shed known me forever.

And that's how I knew I was there, they must have had a daughter and lost her, and I was there to fill the emptiness. But I didn't want to play family, with these people at least, I wanted my sister, I wanted Daryl, I wanted Rick and Carl, I wanted MY family. The people who were like brothers and sisters to me, I wanted Daryl back to teach me and share stories with me, and hold my hand when I felt lonely. I felt like he was part of me, we were connected and we gave each other strength to get up every day. I missed him taking care of me.

I just smiled at the older woman and told her I loved farm fresh eggs, and that I was raised on them, and she said she had been too.

I tried for the next few days to go outside to try and get away, but it was always an excuse, "Too many feeders out today," "Don't have enough nails to board back the wood," "Ma needs your help." So I decided I would get out of that house just like any other mothers daughter could leave home, I'd tell her I was in love.

"He has the most beautiful eyes," I grinned looking down at the living room floor while we sat on the only couch in that room.

"Was he good to you?" She asked, putting her hand on mine.

"Oh yes," I snapped my head back up. "Yes, he took care of me when I hurt my ankle, taught me how to hunt and protect myself, told me things he told never told a living soul, he cared about me,"

"He sounds like a good man,"

"He is we were going to stay in that house until you guys…" Beth had to take a moment before she said anything hurtful. "Saved me."

"Well we showed up at the house after being out for supplies and saw that it was covered until I saw you, and I was said Martin, there's a little girl, we have to save her, and he went and picked you up, and honey it was for the best. You could have died,"

"He would have never let anything hurt me,"

Then she went quiet for a second and looked over to an old chest over by the wall, and looked back at me. She took both my hands into hers and looked at me like she never would again, pushed the hair out of my face and sighed.

"My husband Martin, he means well, but this virus has gotten him wanting to save everyone, and he doesn't understand there's no one left to save,"

I saw a lonely tear in the corner of her eye as she told me she had something for me.

We walked over to the old chest and she took off the heavy lock and opened it wide, inside was knifes, short swords, grenades, an axe, and a couple of guns.

"What?" I looked at her in shock, and back into the chest, I had never seen so many weapons at once. I wasn't sure as to where she was getting at, but I was hoping she was going to let me free.

"Take anything you need, we found this when we arrived and were just an old married couple, we can't use these,"

"Oh my," my lungs let out all the air they were holding and I hugged her, so tight and long I had hoped she knew how grateful I was.

"I'll let you out, hurry up now," She said as she got up and walked away.

There was also a backpack, and a belt holster, I could also put knifes in, I took as many as I could comfortably carry, because I had no idea how long it would take to find Daryl.

I walked through the house trying to be as quiet as I went to find where she went and keep looking around corners but couldn't find her. I went back towards the kitchen and there she was by the back door which had only one board on it, she already had it off. "Martin always uses this one to go out so it was the fastest one to get open."

"Thank you so much," I could feel myself about to cry but she put her hand on my cheek and I felt better.

"Do you want to go with me?" I whispered.

"Oh no honey, you go. Find your boyfriend,"

I didn't want to correct her so I just nodded my head, opened the wooden door and stepped out onto the stone steps.


	2. Chapter 2

I felt the sunshine soak into my skin and watched the tiny little circles dance before my eye as they broke through the trees' leaves swaying in the summer breeze. The farer I walked the happier I became and I could feel more hopeful with each breath of air I toke. I went over my supplies in my head and was thankful of that generous lady who put bottles of water, crackers and a jar of peanut butter in my bag. I thought of finding a squirrel and cooking it, but I would hate to kill a living creature with my bare hands. I would decide when the time came, I hate to think I would be close to starvation but it is what it is when you are on your own.

I was way back in the country, and not the pretty country either, the broken down cars in yards, half burnt down houses still standing somehow, trash and mud all around, no flowers. I saw a few old cages that I bet housed dogs or chickens, I saw ugly all around me, nothing but trees for miles, I had no idea how far out I was so I just stared straight ahead. Not to look back on the past, because my future was ahead of me.

It had been at least three days, three lonely, depressing days.

I was actually on the main road now, passing through a little town with an old fashioned grocery store, a few antiques stores and various retail stores. My brain was wracked by all the different boxed goods I found, mostly crackers and snacks but I was beyond excited when I found a box of hot fudge pop tarts. The back wall called to me and since it was time for a pit stop anyway I took an old tarp I found that was lying by the meat department and curled up and read a book I had found. You know the kind, that has the beautiful woman in a princess dress with her hair all curled up elegant and her cleavage shining in the pale moonlight as her daring young blacksmith or whoever he is holds her close as his long black hair blows in the evening air. It was a very sexual book, but also romantic, I didn't read all of it just a few pages while I rested, but I brought it with me so I could read it on the way.

As I walked out of the little town I stayed on the back roads so I wouldn't run into so many walkers like I would if I were on the main roads leading to the city, and mostly because I was hoping I would spot someone like Maggie or Rick wandering through the woods trying to find a safe house or to catch up with the others.

When I met some walkers I just let into them because I have noticed I have tons of built up rage, and for someone in my situation it's not that surprising. I had lost my whole family, my dad, my sister, I was kidnapped, taken away from a man that protected me, and now I'm all alone. I always heard that a cigarette or having sex is good for relieving stress or built up aggression but it doesn't help me in my case since I've done neither. A good stress reliever that was my own personal favorite would be sitting down by a creek with Daryl, near nightfall when the sun had just set and we could hear the frogs and the crickets singing their summer song, we would be lying side by side on the bank barely saying a word and pouring shots of moonshine.

I was getting pretty disappointed in my tracking skills when I couldn't find any clues of anyone moving by in this part of the area until I came upon a map that was taped to the back of a road sign that read, "Sanctuary for all community, for all those who arrive survive." I could have fell to the ground I was so relieved, I was about seventy percent sure this is where everyone would have headed. The place was called Terminus and it seemed to be right in the middle of the map, all roads leading to it. So I figured since I would pass it up anyway I could check there before moving on.

So I sat down on the edge of the railroad track and picked out the crackers and peanut butter I had left and an apple I snatched off a tree a couple miles back, I wanted to gather enough energy to make it there without having to stop to sleep, I was beyond excited, I might finally find everyone this time, and we can just live.

I reached a couple more signs along the way, a large sign laid against an old rusty car that sat broken down beside of the road. A covered railroad sign near a four way intersection, where I saw many footprints all in one spot, the believer in me perked up and I continued on my journey.

Soon I came upon a group of walkers down by the train tracks where the signs were leading me and they had a body, and I couldn't help but grieve for that person and what its last moments were like, to die, like an animal. I felt a pain in my chest right below my heart when I thought it could have been someone I knew.

The two dead figures shuffled towards me, like animated corpses, I took one last breath and felt it full up my lungs like the ocean slowly coming onto shore and gave into them, I was a force of nature. I was the storm of a hurricane, raining over them. My knife sliced in its rotting body as I watched that last remaining spark of life die inside of him, that light finally went dim in that tortured body. I lay back on the ground as I heard one more come for my flesh, I arched my back, reached for my gun and shot, all my anger, all my pain went into these walking skeletons. As he dropped, my arm dropped as well, my body was beyond moving at that moment.

My lungs had forgotten how to take in oxygen, I listened to the scurrying squirrels run across the crunching twigs and the rustling foliage that dragged with their tiny little paws, I noticed the canopy of trees, leaves that dangled like long ropes that they would wrap around my collapsing body that would carry me up to heaven.

I slowly closed my eyes, as I let the calmness from the land around consume me, I imagined running into Daryl's arms, I could hear Maggie screaming at me and kissing my forehead at the same time, I wanted this new place to be our new home like the prison, but I wasn't going to get my hopes up yet. I told myself I had to move on, laying here was getting me nowhere so I opened my tired eyes raised up off the cool ground and moved on.

I greeted the huge brock building like an old friend, with it's blacked out windows spelling its name, letter by letter. I saw there were lots of flowers and gardens on the inside through a fence but I didn't see any people walking about, so I just overlooked it. I moved through the chain gate and towards the front entrance and there was a sign that read, lower your weapons, you will be met. I just had my knife in my hand at the moment so I put it into its holder on my belt. My heart was beating faster and faster, I was so excited to actually see another alive human being, to have someone to talk to, to not be alone anymore.

My excitement was quickly diminished when I saw a streak of blood around the corner, before I could even turn back I came apron a ghastly beautiful graveyard. Bodies, everywhere, blood and skin and hair just lying in clumps by the corpses, and they weren't walkers either just normal bodies. But all of them had head injuries so they wouldn't turn, this confused me and made me wonder, what the hell kind of place had I walked into?

There were candles by the bodies, white chalk draw in swirls between each shell of a person; I stared at each face as I walked by them, believing I knew each one of them. A maze of blood lead me around them, careful not step on them, my nose was on fire from the copper smell and the heat was not helping either. I saw one with the poncho on that Daryl used to wear, well i thought it looked just like it, i think Maggie had it at one point, but it couldn't be the same one. The sight of that poncho haunted me so i keep on slowly moving around the area and i saw a walker apparently whoever killed all these people didn't take this one out proper. So i reached for my knife and waited for it to come closer to me, before i could even raise my hand I saw a blot shot through its head in front of me, a few feet from my face. That could be only one person.

The walker dropped to my feet and in the background stood a heavenly being, the sun rays beamed from his body as the sun set tricking my eyes making me believe an angel had come to save me. He stood there, taking me in, trying to decide if i were real or just another dream of his, was I alive? Was I one of them? He lowered his crossbow and took a step closer to me, and spoke, "Beth?"

"It's me Daryl, I found you,"


End file.
